Transforming Leaders Into Progress Makers: Leadership for the 21st Century

Progress: the focus of a new perspective on leadership Weaving together original research, novel strategies and tactics, and stories of successful leaders, this book provides insight into how to become a progress-making leader. Written by an academic and a business executive, the book provides actionable ideas grounded in sound research and tested in real organizations. Find out more! 1. Click on the Features/New to this Edition tab above for more information about the book. 2. Visit the authors′ website for teaching and learning resources: 3. Watch the video! A video touching on some of the issues covered in the book is available on YouTube. This video is a great resource that can be used in the classroom to launch discussion about the nature of leadership.  

Table of Contents:
SECTION ONE 1. Introduction Our Purpose Our Approach 2. Exploring Attributes of Explorers Exploring and Progress Making Concluding Thoughts 3. Refining Attributes of Refiners Refining and Progress making Concluding Thoughts 4. Platforms How Platforms Emerge Features of Platforms Concluding Thoughts 5. Progress Defining Progress Implications of the Progress Definition Concluding Thoughts Progress Maker Profile: Oscar Boldt and The Boldt Company 6. The Progress Model How the Progress Model Works So What? Concluding Thoughts 7. How Explorers and Refiners Make Progress The Explorers Mode of Making Progress The Refiners Mode of Making Progress The Challenges Faced by Explorers and Refiners Concluding Thoughts 8. Progress Makers The Central Conundrum The Progress Maker’s Response Making the Right Choices Progress Maker Profile: Ron Reed and the Discovery Channel SECTION TWO 9. Envision the Future with Calculated Boldness Defining the Concept What Inhibits Calculated Boldness What to Do? Concluding Thoughts Progress Maker Profile: Brigadier General H.R. McMaster 10. Cultivate a Focused Flexibility Mindset A Deeper Look at Focus and Flexibility Why is Focused Flexibility so Difficult? What to Do? Concluding Thoughts 11. Enlarge the Circle of Engagement The Concept Why Don’t We Enlarge the Circle? How do You Enlarge the Circle of Engagement? Concluding Thoughts Progress Maker Profile: Vicki Wilson and Door County Coffee & Tea 12. Foster the Growth of Investment-Worthy Employees Defining the Concept Barriers What to Do? Concluding Thoughts 13. Seek, Nurture and Evaluate Actionable Ideas Defining the Concept Phases to Generate Actionable Ideas Barriers What to Do? Concluding Thoughts Progress Maker Profile: Laura Hollingsworth and The Des Moines Register & Gannett 14. Select, Detect, and Correct the Proper Errors Background Error Management Framework The Counter Forces What to Do? Concluding Thoughts 15. Practice Receiver-Centric, Strategy-Based, Feedback-Driven Communication Defining the Concept Barriers What to Do? Concluding Thoughts 16. Conclusion Appendix 1: Progress Makers Appendix 2: UMM and the Origins of Focused Flexibility Index About the Authors

About the Author :
Phillip G. Clampitt received his Ph.D. in organizational communication from the University of Kansas. He holds the Blair Endowed Chair of Communication and was previously the Hendrickson Professor of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he is a full professor.  Dr. Clampitt is the chair of four units at UWGB:  Information & Computing Science, Communication, Computer Science, and Information Science. Sage Publications recently published the sixth edition of his best-selling book, Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness 6e. He co-authored two books with Robert J. DeKoch (President/COO of the Boldt Company): Embracing Uncertainty: The Essence of Leadership and Transforming Leaders into Progress Makers.   Phil’s work on “Decision Downloading” was featured in the MIT Sloan Management Review and the Wall Street Journal.  Additionally, he has published in numerous journals, including The Academy of Management Executive, Journal of Communication Management, Journal of Business Communication and Management Communication Quarterly. He has contributed chapters to numerous works including: Handbook of Communication Audits for Organisations, Communication Audits, and the International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication.  He also is on the editorial board of many professional journals. Over the past thirty years he has worked on communication and leadership issues with many organizations including Nokia, PepsiCo, Schneider National, The Boldt Company, Dental City, National University and the Menasha Corporation.    Phil has been a guest speaker at the U.S. Army War College where they use his books in their Strategic Leadership class. In addition to many guest-speaking opportunities in the U.S., he has also been invited to speak internationally at places such as The University of Pisa, The University of Aberdeen, The University of Ulster, as well as to numerous multi-national businesses and professional organizations.    His students have heard him ask, "So what?" so often that they started calling him “Dr. So What.” Subsequently, he developed a related website (www.drsowhat.com) that highlights his passionate commitment to critical thinking and thoughtful inquiry.  Robert J. DeKoch received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Lawrence University and his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. His career has spanned numerous manufacturing industries where he has held various management positions in operations, engineering, and research. He is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer for a major U.S. construction services firm, the Boldt Company (see www.theboldtcompany.com). He is also Co-Chairman of the Board of New North, Inc., a regional economic development initiative in Northeastern Wisconsin. The initiative’s mission is to harness and promote the 18-county region′s resources, talents and creativity for the purposes of sustaining and growing the regional economy (see www.thenewnorth.com). Throughout his career, Mr. DeKoch has focused on developing work environments for high involvement and continuous learning. He has instituted progressive communication processes in the workplace to promote understanding, focus and alignment. He strives to build organizational relationships that foster innovative thinking, recognition of achievement, and genuine teamwork. He co-authored the book Embracing Uncertainty: The Essence of Leadership and leadership articles in various journals.

Review :
This book will quickly become required reading for all who aspire to organizational leadership. Phil Clampitt and Robert DeKoch have crafted an insightful and practical approach to leadership development. Packed with organizational examples from their extensive business experiences, the book draws from a broad array of literature in management, science, arts and technology to explore change, innovation and other strategic leadership issues. The book is not only readable, but hard to put down. This book contains concepts and insights that advance the study and practice of leadership. It is to be celebrated equally for its humility as well as its assertions. Here there are no false claims of certainty demonstrating that the authors practice what they preach. Instead of punctuating their work with a declarative statement of truth they enjoin the reader to refine and explore. The authors are in search of a more sustainable form of leadership, a project that could be the next great platform of leadership theory. "The book is filled with rich and diverse business examples that challenge the reader to re-evaluate long-held "truths" about how to move an organization ahead, in spite of inevitable roadblocks along the way." "Clampitt and DeKoch enhance the reader′s understanding of their model by providing compelling examples of leaders who have transformed their organizations into highly effective, successful organizations; true Progress Makers." "Underpinning their theory are practical tools to help leaders make the right day-to day choices and transform themselves into true "Progress Makers." This is a must-read for navigating these extremely uncertain times and moving your company forward."